Claridge House based in Surrey – Reporting to the Manager

Salary 20 hrs per week £13.5ph is £14,000 with a review. 

Permanent-Part-time; Start: ASAP

Overview:

Claridge House is a Victorian property set in two acres of beautiful garden near Lingfield, Surrey. It is a registered charity, used as a retreat centre, providing a space where people of any faith or none may stay for a while in peace and stillness before returning, rested and renewed, to their everyday lives. We have a truly outstanding opportunity for a forward-thinking individual looking for a role that will offer them variety and purposefulness. Claridge House is currently looking for a Marketing Administrator to join their small dynamic team. Established in 1954, the house has been run with Quaker business values and as a registered charity. Since then, it has enjoyed a loyal following for its special atmosphere and caring nature. 

This role will be responsible for shaping and implementing the marketing plan and business development activities to generate and grow the business, and will include course management involving introducing new course leaders to the house, conducting site visits and on-going liaison, whilst also providing reliable and efficient business support to existing customers. As we run a small business there will also be office support duties shared with the Manager and Bookkeeper.

The role itself will grow organically, initially it will support a project to rebrand and launch a new website and will include but not be limited to the following tasks:

Key Tasks:

• Delivery of the marketing plan and supporting campaigns via social media accounts and Mailchimp email
• Management of all aspects of the Claridge House advertising, creating artwork and leaflets/ banners for key social events and promotion of CH courses
• Website management including updates, postings, liasion with website provider etc
• Analysis of the return on investment of marketing campaigns
• Management of advertising requests, social media enquiries, prospective course leaders and managing site visits
• Management of course feedback forms, logging feedback forms in Excel, updating database, pulling out any quotes for future advertising and provide course / guest analysis
• Support the Trustees with the development of the business strategy and supporting annual marketing plan including budget request
• Develop and implement the course schedule, ensuring alignment to CH charitable aims
• Identify new group stay course leaders and manage existing ones
• Liaison with course leaders for site visits, course write-ups, schedules and attendee management
• Liaison with course leaders on terms and conditions, discuss dates, payment schedules, managing cancellation policies etc.

In addition, there will be some general office duties:

• Supporting the prompt answering of the telephone at all times, and ensure queries are answered in a timely manner and with courtesy; processing main email, bookings and payments.
• Greeting and helping guests to their rooms where appropriate, ensuring the highest level of customer service.

Marketing & Business Development:

• Work with the Manager on strategies to improve standards and to seek to increase the business overall with responsibility for the marketing of Claridge House’s core retreat business.
• Work with the Manager on strategies to develop the interface between housekeeping and course management.
• Maintain your own professional and technical knowledge by attending workshops, reviewing professional publications and establishing personal networks both within and outside the Quaker community.

Knowledge:

• Computer literate - essential
• Working as part of a small and committed team – essential
• Social media and marketing knowledge - essential
• Working in a reception environment - desirable
• Hospitality/retreat centre requirements - desirable
• Quakers and Quaker practice – desirable

Key skills and personal attributes:

Skills:

• Professional and courteous verbal communication skills - essential
• Excellent written and creative communication skills – essential
• Confident use of online technology e-commerce and social media – essential
• Experience working with Google Apps and thorough understanding of Microsoft office suite; Word, Excel and PowerPoint;- essential
• Experience in project management and execution of marketing and business development strategies - essential
• Flexible and hands-on approach - essential
• Attention to detail - essential
• Problem solving - essential;
• Ability to drive with a clean licence – desirable

Personal attributes:

• Genuine interest in and desire to learn about all aspects of the business and different sectors.
• Enthusiastic, keen to learn and apply new skills.
• Great ‘can do’ attitude and work ethic and desire to exceed expectations.
• Effective customer relationship skills.
• Problem solving abilities to manage issues to the best outcome for the business and clients.
• Confidence to use initiative to create appropriate marketing activities.

What we provide:

The successful candidate will receive the opportunity to understand how a business operates from the ground up, develop their customer relationship skills and practice their professional marketing communication skills in a stretching but safe environment. This is an excellent opportunity for someone that is enthusiastic, is keen to work hard and learn new skills to grow and define their career.

In addition:

• Opportunities to join half-day Claridge House courses paid for by the house
• Pension
• Sick leave
• Holiday

Kitchen Manager/Chef      

Part time – average 25 hrs/week flexi - £15 p/hr

Main purpose of the job

To exceed customer expectations by delivering excellent quality service whilst projecting a safe, organised and hygienic environment for all guests, staff and visitors to Claridge House.

Responsible for preparing and managing the provision of exceptional quality for all aspects of catering - vegetarian and vegan food - to a timely and consistently high standard.  Manage the day-to-day operation of the kitchen ensuring the team delivers and maintains high standards of customer service, service delivery and cleanliness, whilst ensuring the best use of resources under their remit.

Principal duties:

• Design and prepare nutritious and healthy vegetarian menus for CH guests at designated times.  Work to budget.  Create menus to guest allergy/dietary requirements as well as using/rotating pantry/fridge/freezer stock to reduce waste.  Order and purchasing, food prep and cooking and serving our guests. Clean down. Help improve the kitchen and dining room areas.
• Exceptional time management as well as organizational skills.  Ensure the kitchen is cleaned to the highest standards – with the assistance of Kitchen and General Assistants if/when available.
• .Work shifts, weekends including bank holidays as required.  To be flexible with working hours to meet the needs of Claridge House and fellow colleagues. 

• Ensure all statutory requirements for food handling are met and all kitchen staff are appropriately trained. Allergen information must be clearly communicated to guests and any potential cross contamination is prevented. Immediately report equipment repairs to the office if urgent, otherwise alert the office and log in maintenance book.

• Show a caring approach to our guests to create a harmonious place of retreat and healing. To show a professional attitude to guests and all work colleagues (including time management and appearance).  Ensure any complaints are dealt with promptly to ensure customer satisfaction - report issue/actions to manager.

• Oversee Kitchen Assistants work schedules; ensure they have the necessary direction, training, knowledge and skills, encouraging shared values and teamwork. 

• Collaborate with Head Housekeeper regarding COSHH stock cupboard rotation and stock requirements, merge orders where possible.

• Participate in regular team meetings to check forthcoming business requirements including catering and ensure the team are appropriately briefed.

• Check catering reports on the Booking system and update menus to adapt to dietary requirements.

• Together with the manager, monitor costs to meet budgets, review suppliers and cost controls whilst fulfilling our criteria of sustainable and (preferably) organic produce to meet business needs.  

• Manage the security of the property, operating stock and equipment. Ensure that building keys and cash procedures are followed and complete periodic checks by completing asset and stock counts.

PERSON SPECIFICATION

Be the face of Claridge House when office personnel are unscheduled or occupied with guests.

Help promote courses, workshops and retreats. 

Answer guest queries and leave details/contact info for office to follow-up.

Duty manager when manager absent, assuming the duties of fire officer and first aider on site.  Confident to work alone as you may be the sole employee in the house and, in this case, take the lead in emergency situations, ensuring guest/staff safety (informing manager asap).

Assist kitchen and log essential weekly/monthly cleaning schedule in conjunction with Head Housekeeper.  Update risk assessments as required.

ESSENTIAL QUALIFICATIONS

• Recognized catering qualification. i.e. BICS or NVQ level 2 or 3 or equivalent experience.

ESSENTIAL EXPERIENCE

• Experience of budgets and purchasing.
• Experience of delivering quality service.
• Be able to demonstrate good interpersonal staff management skills.
• Experience of planning, implementing, maintaining and reviewing service standards.

ESSENTIAL SKILLS

• Excellent team leadership skills.
• Able to plan menus and produce vegetarian or vegan food to a high standard.
• Able to monitor and manage all aspects of the financial parts of this role.
• Able to use general cleaning equipment safely and correctly.
• Able to communicate well both orally and in writing with people from a variety of different backgrounds.
• Able to adapt to a changing, fast paced environment with good humour
• Attention to detail in delivery service standards.
• Good organizational skills, with an ability to take the initiative, manage priorities and work independently without direct supervision, and able to work as part of a team.
• Kindness.
• Experience and understanding of catering for special diets and allergies.

DESIRABLES 

• Some basic knowledge of requirements for creating a healing environment.
• Health and safety qualification.
• Fire warden training First Aider